Gül tells Peres Israel should not allow new settlements

Gül took advantage of the meeting -- the first on a presidential level since relations deteriorated following a deadly Israeli offensive in Gaza in January -- to urge Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders and revise its policy of expanding settlements in Palestine. Upon a request from Israel, Gül met with Peres yesterday at the Bella Center, the venue of COP15. The meeting, which lasted approximately one hour, was closed to the press.

Turkish officials said Gül told Peres that nothing can remain a secret in today's information age and that the Turkish public closely follows developments related to Palestine. Gül added that the public is uneasy about unfavorable developments in Palestine.

Peres renewed his calls to Gül for a visit to Israel. The meeting is the first high-level contact between Turkey and Israel since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s walkout in response to Israel’s attack on Gaza, which has been seen as disproportionate action to the threat it faced. Erdoğan left a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January after a heated exchange with Peres over the Gaza operation, which killed 1,400 Palestinians, an overwhelming majority of whom were women and children, and devastated the infrastructure of the densely populated coastal strip.

Turkish-Israeli relations have recently shown signs of improvement, following a visit by Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer last month. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has also been invited to visit Turkey in January. Gül had cancelled a planned visit to Israel following the Gaza operation, and Turkish officials have appeared to suggest that the visit will not take place without Israel taking measures to improve the situation in Gaza and stopping settlement construction.

The meeting between Abdullah Gül (2nd from R) and Shimon Peres (L) lasted for approximately one hour and was closed to the press.

President Gül also met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Bella Center on Thursday. Turkish officials did not provide detailed information regarding the content of the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes. But they said the two leaders talked about Iran’s nuclear program, an issue that makes major world powers uneasy because they fear that it is a cover up for building bombs.

Iran’s nuclear program was one of the major issues to leave its mark on Prime Minister Erdoğan’s visit to the United States earlier this month. The US leadership said any efforts by Turkey to contribute to positive developments regarding the issue are welcome. However, Iran has ruled out mediation efforts by Turkey. Meanwhile, Iran has signed a defense agreement with Syria that strengthens their position.

In his address to the climate conference, Ahmadinejad called on capitalist countries to rein in their insatiable hunger and materialistic goals, which are at the root of conflicts around the world. He also said wind, solar and nuclear energy studies are being conducted in Iran to further their goals of developing clean energy. He proposed a financial institution based in China that would hold money for the international community.

Another meeting President Gül had in Copenhagen was with the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The two leaders met at the residence of the Turkish ambassador shortly after Gül arrived in Copenhagen on Thursday.

Turkish officials said Gül reiterated Turkey’s support for Lebanon and that bilateral relations will continue to improve.

Gül also conveyed that Turkey is pleased with developments regarding the formation of the government in Lebanon. The son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in February 2005, Saad Hariri formed his government on Nov. 9. Lebanon’s parliamentary elections were held in June. Turkey contributed to efforts to resolve the country’s troubled process of government formation.

Also on Thursday, Gül met three students from Copenhagen’s private Turkish school HAY Skolen, who presented the president with flowers at the ambassador’s residence. The school’s director, Mehmet Kolukısa, who accompanied the students, said the president showed keen interest in the students and received information about the school. The students had their picture taken with the president.